Tuesday, September 26, 2017

After gathering at the La Feria
Whataburger (a popular place for some of the crew to have breakfast J), four cars full
of eager birders made their way over to Donna McCown’s place in Harlingen, known for her big
back yard and multiple feeders and water features!We had just pulled in when several orioles
attacked her jelly feeder in the front yard (I only got a look at a Hooded…)!We shortly migrated to her big back yard,
where a Long-billed Curlew sailed in and landed in her neighbor’s yard, and a Dickcissel
flew over, which was a yard bird for Donna!A small flock of four Red-crowned Parrots flew over, and from the
comfort of her back porch we enjoyed Green Jays, Lesser Goldfinches, and
hummingbirds while the ladies talked feeder construction! J

We're not even out of the cars before birds start showing up!

White-winged Dove

Eastern Cottontail (token mammal)

The gang dutifully admiring the back yard...

...and the porch feeders!

Sue keeps track of the sightings via her eBird app while our hostess Donna looks on (with Pat and Alan in the background).

Green Jay grabs a prize!

Lesser Goldfinch at the drip

Donna told us about a road with some
cottonwoods and dead palm trees that often had parrots and Gray Hawks, so we
headed over there next; we at least heard the hawk, but the palms looked like
they had been taken over by woodpeckers.From there we headed on up to Sugarhouse Pond, which was way down from the last time I was
there!Was still good shorebird habitat,
though, with several Avocets, peeps, and even some Wilson’s Phalaropes (couldn’t
find the Red-necked, though)!Black-bellied
and Semipalmated Plovers were nice surprises as well.

There's Gray Hawks in them thar trees!

Overlooking Sugarhouse Pond

Pat, Baceliza, Betty (in back), and Stephanie

Pat and Norma scan for goodies

...and the goodies are way out there!

Avocets plough through the water

From there we decided to see if Valley
Acres Reservoir was open; they welcome birders if you ask permission first, so
we called, the gate was open, and we headed on in!This is a huge reservoir with lots of
birds:first to greet us was a ballet of
White Pelicans!In the canal heading up
to the dike was a young Yellow-crowned Night Heron, and on the island across
the way were also tons of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, and
Neotropic Cormorants.Some beautiful
Roseate Spoonbills were sprinkled here and there, and we caught sight of a
couple of Wood Storks sailing in, but the best bird was a cute little Snowy
Plover on the sand!While most of the
crew threw in the towel about that time, four of us decided to pile in Alan and
Baceliza’s vehicle and take the drive all around the lake!That was great fun:we got a little closer to some of the
shorebirds, including one that looked suspiciously like a Baird’s
Sandpiper.A Cooper’s Hawk exploded from
the trees at one point, and three White-tailed Kites sailed overhead!Coming around to the back side of that island
revealed many more Wood Storks, and along the return leg we flushed several
Black-crowned Night Herons.We managed
to get closer to our Snowy Plover coming back, but we didn’t linger as it was
hot and getting late.It was about a
three-to-four mile loop on a good road (although grassy in spots; might be
dicey when wet).

Canal at Valley Acres

The Island, loaded with pelicans and ducks!

Roseate Spoonbills

White Pelicans

Wood Storks and whistling ducks

Cute little Snowy Plover, with only a few breeding areas known in Hidalgo County!

We all went our separate ways after that,
logging 60 species for the morning.Bird
List:

Bill and Sue were wrapping up a month-long
trip exploring areas in the American West, and decided to top off their visit
in the LRGV!One of the surprises, they
admitted, was that the area was so lush – they expected it to be a desert!Well, true – you don’t have to go too far
west before you are in the desert,
and maybe even Tamaulipan thornscrub is
considered a “desert” habitat (we certainly get “desert” associated birds such
as Verdin and Pyrrhuloxia), but we also have that Rio Grande riparian woodland
habitat, to say nothing of “old growth” neighborhoods!

Our first stop was Estero Llano Grande SP,
and the “Tropical Zone” certainly qualifies as a “woodland”, even if many of
the trees are non-native!It was rather
quiet when we arrived, but strolling the loop we managed to spot the
pheasant-like Chachalacas, the noisy Kiskadees, and even the Beardless
Tyrannulet allowed a fleeting glimpse as it shot overhead!At the water feature a Wilson’s Warbler came
in to investigate, and while an Olive Sparrow sang, it never showed.Swinging around the back we got great looks
at a Black-crested Titmouse family, the grown youngsters still fluttering their
wings at Mummy and Daddy, and a bird we’re currently calling just a very
strongly-marked Curve-billed Thrasher – I’ve seen individuals with prominent
spotting before, but this guy almost looked like he might have had Long-billed
Thrasher blood in him, his spots (some which appeared almost streak-like) were
so dark!A more normal-looking bird sat
and called overhead.

Arriving at the deck we were met by Ranger
John who had just put out the hummingbird feeders, announcing that an Altamira
Oriole almost sat on him!Well, we
waited around for about 15 minutes, and no oriole L, but the
hummingbirds were really putting on a show:the resident Buff-bellies made regular appearances, while the (presumed)
Rubythroats chased each other and guarded the feeders aggressively.Bill found his life Least Grebe in Ibis Pond,
but alas, no White-faced Ibis that would have been a life bird!There were plenty of Blue-winged Teal and
Black-necked Stilts about, however.

Probable female or juvie Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Black-chinned is virtually identical, but Ruby-throated is more likely this time of year)

Notice the kiss of buff on the flanks that many young/female Archilochus hummers show

Buff-bellied Hummingbird, our resident specialty

Heading straight to Alligator Lake, we
made a brief stop at Dowitcher Pond where a whole pod of Least Grebes was
hanging out.After crossing the little
footbridge I had just warned Bill that the Green Kingfisher sometimes likes to
hang in the canal, when he suddenly spotted one that had just come up from a
dive!At Grebe Marsh a couple of Belted
Kingfishers rattled while a Lesser Yellowlegs fed across the way, and a
White-tipped Dove posed for scope views.Alligator Lake had a couple of Yellow-crowned Night Herons, but I was
sweating a little when the Pauraque wasn’t in his usual spot by the
barrier!I wanted to quickly check out the
other spot at the foot of the overlook, but we all ended up going and
thankfully, there was the “backup” Pauraque almost right next to the
trail!What a great look!After picking up an Anhinga at the overlook,
we walked back by way of the Screech Owl hole, and there he was, glaring at us
and looking cute at the same time!Sue
also spotted a hiding Long-billed Thrasher, so that was nice to compare him to
that spotty Curve-billed!

Bill enters his latest sighting on his app!

Bill's life Green Kingfisher!

Sue and Bill admiring Grebe Marsh

Pauraque

"McCall's" Screech Owl

From there we headed straight back,
chilling on the Spoonbill Trail boardwalk for a bit when a Wood Stork sailed
high overhead!After enjoying some friendly
Least Sandpipers, we then sat at the feeders again for a little bit, but the
best bird soared overhead:Bill’s life
Swainson’s Hawk!With the time we had
left I had initially thought of going to Frontera, but with the heat, we’d only
be there about 15 minutes before we’d have to head back, so since Sue had
wondered aloud if there was a way to see into Mexico without having to hike to
the river, I mentioned Anzalduas Park, so we headed over there to check it
out!I showed them the famous “Sprague’s
Pipit Field” (an incentive to come back in the winter J), then we checked
out the river, which was pretty empty (although they were impressed with the pretty park across the way in Mexico).I heard a Black Phoebe (which they didn’t
need, so we didn’t track it down), but at a potty spot we were able to bag
another life bird for Bill (albeit a female):a perky Vermilion Flycatcher!

Chilling out on the Spoonbill Trail

Friendly Least Sandpiper and his three buddies below

It was time to head back for siesta after
that, and for the afternoon shift (and after pondering those target birds Bill
mentioned) I decided to take them up to Edinburg Scenic Wetlands first, as a
Ringed Kingfisher had recently been reported there.We headed in and were immediately greeted by
Marisa Oliva (the director) and a couple of her helpers who were working on
their new water feature!They chatted
while Monica took our money J, then we headed
to the North Pond.By that time I had
realized I had forgotten my scope, so I left them at the overlook enjoying
Neotropic Cormorants and egrets while I headed back to the car.When I got back they both greeted me with big
grins and said, “That’s what happens when you turn your back!”A big ol’ Ringed Kingfisher had popped up on
the opposite side, showed off, then took off!Thankfully the thing called a little later so I could log it myself, but
we also had a pair of Belted Kingfishers making a racket.I had heard a “ringing” Clay-colored Thrush
on my way back from the car, so we took the Jungle Trail in hopes of finding
it, and I did indeed get a glimpse, but what did pop up for a few minutes shortly thereafter was a female Summer
Tanager!

Entrance kiosk to Edinburg Scenic Wetlands

Director Marisa Oliva chats with Sue and Bill

Female Summer Tanager

From there we headed up and over to Wallace
Road.That proved to be a good choice
(always preferable to road-bird in the heat of the day anyway), as we had a
great raptor show in the form of a flyover White-tailed Kite, several Swainson’s
Hawks, and a young White-tailed thrown in for comparison!Several Lark Sparrows posed on wires, and
down at the wetlands Bill spotted a gorgeous Harris’ Hawk!Most of the wetland area was dry, but there
was enough water to have a few shorebirds – just not the White-faced Ibis or
Fulvous Whistling Ducks we were hoping for! L

Swainson's Hawk (ready to book below)

State of one of the west side wetlands (note the storm in the distance)

He was also interested in bagging a
Roadrunner, so I gave them the choice of continuing road-birding in good
Roadrunner habitat until sunset, for make a run for the parrots in
McAllen.They chose the parrots, but
unfortunately we dipped on them. L Another reason to
come back!All told, we didn’t do bad,
logging 90 species for the day!

Monday, September 18, 2017

Willacy
County is one of the most under-birded counties in the LRGV, but there are some
great places to explore; one of my favorites is Sacahuistale Flats, a
road-birding route that basically follows SR 186 eastward from Raymondville
towards Port Mansfield (PM).The Flats
themselves are about halfway to PM, but I like to start my route just past FM
1420, as some of the more “wild” ag fields (i.e., away from peoples’ homes)
provide a different habitat that can have some nice birds for the trip. On the way to the start of the route just
before sunrise, I was honestly afraid I was gonna nail one of the dozens of
southbound Barn Swallows swooping low across the road!Thankfully I didn’t, but at the first stop,
there was a constant flow of them; I think the final total was well over 200
(and I probably undercounted)!The palm
trees along this portion of the route often have Hooded Orioles, but today I
would interestingly get them further east, in the thornscrub (guess they’re on
the move, too, along with the Baltimores)!Was pleased to not only hear
Upland Sandpipers, but a pair flew by giving great looks!Other “ag specialists” added along this
stretch included Long-billed Curlew and Horned Lark.Also managed my first-of-season Kestrel
hunting from a wire.

One of the ag fields along SR 186

Eurasian Collared Dove, a common rural bird

Once
out of the ag fields you enter typical Tamaulipan Thorn Scrub habitat.To my knowledge, all the land you drive
through right into PM is privately-owned ranch land, but birding from the road
is of course permissible.Be careful, though,
and be sure to pull way over:the
Weekend Warriors heading out to PM with their boats don’t dilly dally, as the
speed limit along here is 75!You’re
also not too far south of the King Ranch, and diligent birders have found Ferruginous Pygmy Owl along
here!The only “King Ranch Specialty”
that I encounter with any frequency out here is Audubon’s Oriole, and this day
I had two birds sadly singing (along with a very happy-sounding Altamira on a power
pole)!The poles are also great places
to look for White-tailed and Harris’ Hawks, along with Crested Caracaras.A nice surprise was a young Red-shouldered
Hawk perched on a power line!

About
nine miles past 1420 is a little creek with a couple of primitive parking
areas; this time a couple of fishermen had already staked the place out, so I
didn’t check it, but with the freshwater vegetation it can be a good place to
look for herons, kingfishers, Yellowthroats, Spotted Sandpipers, Anhingas, and,
in winter, Swamp Sparrows. Today the wires were lined with migrating Purple Martins!

Mesquite savannah near the creek

Purple Martins

Further east, you
start getting into mesquite savannah and the coastal plains.This is the realm of Cassin’s and Botteri’s
Sparrows, and I was surprised to hear a couple of the latter still singing
(although it was just the sputtering first part, leaving off the bouncing-ball
ending)!Didn’t hear any Cassin’s
Sparrows this trip, but did pick up a couple of Eastern Meadowlarks.Bobwhites can be calling from the distance
all along this route, even in the ag fields!

Botteri's Sparrow country!

White-tailed Hawk

Crested Caracara

I
wrap up my survey just before entering Port Mansfield, making it a nice 13-mile
route.In PM, there are three places we local
birders generally check:the first is
the new Laguna Point Rec Area, a great place to look for shorebirds and other
water birds.I say “new” only in the
sense that they’ve greatly improved the entrance road and have built new piers,
observation decks, trails, and even a restroom!Before all the improvements the place could often be a muddy death trap
(or it seemed like it, anyway), but it was still great for birds – a lot of us
got our life Purple Sandpiper out there one year!On today’s outing there was nothing out of
the ordinary, but a scan from the end overlook added a ton of young Least Terns
to the list, in addition to a single Common Tern, lots of Laughing Gulls, and a
few shorebirds.A good trail (and even
an interpretive sign) heads out to the water, and from there I was able to get
a closer look at the shorebirds:mostly
Western Sandpipers, but also a few Leasts, Sanderlings, Ruddy Turnstones, and Semipalmated
and Black-bellied Plovers. On the way out I wasn't fast enough with the camera to catch what was probably a Mexican Racer slithering across the road, but unfortunately a Texas Rat Snake wasn't so fortunate...

White-tailed Deer with a serious rack chilling out at Port Mansfield!

View from the end of the trail at Laguna Point Rec Area, showing the end parking lot

Deceased Texas Rat Snake

Detail of the head pattern

The
next two places are mentioned on the Texas Wildlife Viewing Map:Fred Stone County Park and the Port Mansfield
Nature Trail.The parking area for the
county park is usually too overrun with people to be worthwhile, so I just
drive right up to the fence at the end of the road and check out the
wetland.Sometimes there’s not much of a
wetland to check, but today there was
a little puddle of water that had a ton of Black-bellied Plovers, Royal and
Caspian Terns, and Long-billed Curlews!(One of the curlews even fed close to the road in the grass!)The Nature Trail is often too hot to house
many birds (at least this time of year), but this day at least managed to add a
Ruby-throated Hummingbird and a couple of Black Vultures to the day list!This can be a good place to pick up Wild
Turkey, and on other occasions I’ve gotten some good butterflies (such as
Tropical Buckeye) and migrants (such as Yellow-throated and Bay-breasted
Warblers), but today the stars of the show were the White-tailed Deer asking
for handouts…